


Awesome Prompt Mix Vol 1

by invisibledaemon



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2018-11-11 07:52:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 17,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11144103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/invisibledaemon/pseuds/invisibledaemon
Summary: A series of Starmora oneshots originally posted on Tumblr.Last one: Peter isn't jealous, per se





	1. Groot Interrupts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like it says in the summary, this is where I'm gonna be keeping my prompt fills that I post on tumblr. You can also read them on my tumblr [here!](https://gamoraspeter.tumblr.com/tagged/fic) Also shoutout to [enigma731](http://enigma731.tumblr.com/) for the title idea!
> 
> They all take place after Vol 2 unless otherwise noted! 
> 
> The prompt for this one was from [daylightspeaks](http://daylightspeaks.tumblr.com/) \- 
> 
> I don't know if you take fanfic prompts but this headcanon won't leave me alone I need to share it with someone who loves Starmora so here goes. Baby Groot in encouraged by Rocket to interrupt Starmora sexytimes for story time. Who are Peter and Gamora to deny baby Groot?

She was sitting in their small bunk, cleaning her sword and admiring the way it shined in the light, when Peter came in from the shower, vigorously toweling off his wet hair. He paused in this task when he caught sight of her, jaw slackening as he shut the door behind him.

“Gamora,” he said, a husky quality to his voice. “You are gorgeous.”

_You’re the one who’s shirtless and still damp,_ she thought. But she didn’t say that.

“I’m just in my sleep clothes.” She indicated the loose tee and shorts she was wearing.

“Maybe it’s the sword or something, but it’s doing it for me.”

Something in his tone and his eyes was doing it for her, too (though, if she was honest, her interest had been piqued the second he walked in the door).

She hastily set the Godslayer aside as Peter threw down his towel and crawled over her, muttering “Or maybe it’s just you,” before capturing her lips in a hard kiss. She spread her legs to cradle his hips as he started trailing kisses down her neck.

“Should I polish my weapons more often?” She asked, raking her fingers through his hair.

He gasped and jerked his hips when she started scratching the back of his neck. Her satisfied smirk was quickly lost to a moan when he nipped at her collar bone in retaliation.

“Pretty sure you could have been doing anything and it would have turned me on,” he confessed. Any reply she may have had was lost when he lifted his head to kiss her again. 

They spent several blissful minutes like that before Gamora started to get impatient. Using the back of her nails, she gently raked them down Peter’s abs, feeling them twitch under her fingers. He let out a strangled curse against her lips, but he’d obviously gotten the message. He slowly lifted her shirt, bunching it up under her armpits so they wouldn’t have to break the kiss to remove it.

She had one hand caressing the muscles in Peter’s back while the other continued to scratch through his hair, reveling in the way it made him groan and grind against her. Peter was balancing on his forearms next to her head, hands tangled in her hair, but then he moved one to start a journey down. He started at her neck, stroked over her breasts, down her stomach, under her shorts, and was just reaching the edge of her underwear when she heard it:

Tiny footsteps.

“Peter,” she whispered urgently, ignoring his petulant whine when she detached their mouths. “Did you lock the door?”

His eyes widened. “Uh….”

“Shit.”

She had just enough time to yank her shirt down and shove Peter off of her – a little too hard, as he rolled all the way off and landed on the floor – before the door to their room opened to reveal Groot standing on the other side.

“I am Groot?” He cast his eyes between Gamora, who had sat up rapidly and was doing her best to look normal, and Peter, who was poking his head up from the other side of the bed.

“What were we doing?” Peter asked hastily, glancing at Gamora. They had gotten much better at understanding Groot’s speech, but they still required clarification sometimes.

Groot nodded.

“We were, uh… hugging!” Peter told him.

“Mmmhmm,” Gamora agreed. Groot appeared reassured. “But what did we tell you about knocking, Groot?”

He casts his eyes down, slightly ashamed. “I am Groot.”

“You want a bedtime story?” Peter sighed. “You still have to knock, buddy, unless it’s a dire emergency, okay?”

“Isn’t it Rocket’s night to tell you a story?” Gamora asked. As soon as she did, she heard it – snickering in the distance. Her eyes narrowed. “Did Rocket tell you to come ask us?”

Groot nodded again.

“Why, that little…” Peter mumbled. He stood up, though Gamora noticed he kept his hips hidden behind the bed. “Tell you what, Groot,” he said, adopting a cheerful voice for the little tree. “When I get out from behind here, I’ll tell you the story of a raccoon who got his whole head shaved, how does that sound?”

“I am Groot!” He said excitedly. In the distance, Gamora could hear Rocket openly cackling now.

Peter threatening to shave him for the third time that week wasn’t going to do anything, she figured, except convince Rocket that this was a hilarious prank.

“You stay here,” she told Peter, getting off the bed and taking Groot’s hand. “I’ll tell Groot that story on our way to find Rocket.”

She was pleased by the conspicuous absence of laughter that followed.

“Go get him, babe!” Peter called as she led Groot out the door.


	2. Labor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from [toriprattlover](http://toriprattlover.tumblr.com/) \- 
> 
> So... It came to mind and idea of a little starmora fanfic. That Gamora is about to give birth and the guardians don't have the time to take her to a hospital. So she will not have another option to bring her little star baby to the galaxy in the Milano. Oh, and Mantis is going to take care of her by helping with her delivery.

“What the hell do you mean you’re in labor?”

“How many things could I possibly mean by that?”

Peter stared at her in a mixture of shock, fear, and awe (mostly fear); how was she so calm about this?

“You’re not due for two weeks!” He leaned down to talk to her rounded belly. “Two weeks!”

“I do not think the fetus has developed a concept of time,” Drax, who was also infuriatingly calm, said.

“It’s not like it can see calendars in there, anyway,” Rocket pointed out.

“You guys are missing the point!” Peter nearly tore a chunk of his own hair out. “We must be hundreds of clicks away from the nearest hospital!”

"Well, if she holds it in long enough –“ Rocket started.

“Is that possible? Can you hold a baby in?”

“I don’t know, and I’m not going to try.” Gamora settled into her usual seat and Mantis stood next to her, her hand over Gamora’s stomach, antennaes glowing. “We’ve prepared for this situation. Mantis knows what to do.”

Some of the tension in Peter’s shoulders loosened. Mantis’s ability to ease pain made him slightly less concerned for Gamora, though he couldn’t stop the panicky fluttering in his chest.

Gamora, meanwhile, seemed to have everything completely under control. “Rocket, chart a course to the nearest hospital,” she instructed. “Drax, call my sister. Peter, get over here so I can punch you when the contractions become unpleasant.”

He obliged immediately, taking one of her hands in both of his and crouching by her side.

“Groot,” Gamora said gently. He was standing on her other side, tall enough now that his head was almost level with Gamora’s when she was sitting. “Prepare to meet your new sibling.” 

Groot beamed.

“Your new green, scary sibling,” Rocket said from the pilot’s chair. He couldn’t quite disguise the anticipation in his tone, though. “And annoying, if Quill’s genes have any say.”

Peter ignored him. “You are amazing,” he whispered to Gamora, kissing her hand reverently. “Is there anything else I can do?”

She looked at him, and he was surprised to see that, despite her calm exterior, there were hints of panic in her eyes. “Stay with me,” she said quietly.

Peter smiled and stroked a hand over her forehead.

“Nowhere else I’d rather be.”


	3. In A Closet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from [Lancedinah](http://lancedinah.tumblr.com/) \- 
> 
> Starmora + 16: Things you said with no space between us.
> 
> Takes place before Vol 2

“Peter!”

“Sshhhh! Keep your voice down.”

“What did you do that for?” Gamora lowered her voice so they were conducting their conversation in a whisper.

“Um… I thought it would be funny?”

“You thought stuffing us into a supply closet would be funny?”

“… Yes.”

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but was having difficulty remembering why that was a stupid excuse. Their situation was a little distracting.

“Could you at least back up a little?”

“Not unless I’ve suddenly developed the ability to move through walls… nope. Sorry, Gam.”

“Don’t call me that,” she muttered, swallowing nervously.

Not that she had any reason to be nervous. None at all. It just so happened that she and Peter were suddenly stuck together in a very small space, practically touching from head to toe, with his arms pressed up against the wall by her head and maybe there were some _feelings_ that she was trying very hard to tamp down.

Some she couldn’t help, though. She could feel his chest pressed up against hers; there was no stopping that. And his knees where they brushed against hers, she could feel that too. She was keenly aware of his breath puffing against her forehead, because she wasn’t wearing heels today. That height difference put his lips nearly at her eye level and she was having real trouble stopping herself from glancing at them and –

She needed to focus. So, instead of thinking about all the places they were touching and the weird feelings she might have been experiencing, she zeroed in on his distinctly guilty expression.

“What’s the real reason you shoved me in here, Peter?”

He sighed; she felt it blow her hair a little.

“I maybe, might have seen someone who may not be super happy with me.”

“Someone you had sex with?”

“Why do you jump right to that?” He asked indignantly.

She waited with an eyebrow raised.

“Fine, yeah, sorta.”

Something clicked into place in Gamora’s mind; they were in Nova Records, and she’d seen an A’askvariian working out there right before Peter had cursed and hidden them in this closet.

“The woman at the front desk?”

“Why even ask me if you already knew?” He grumbled, looking put-out.

“Is she the one you told Drax about?”

“When I was saving your life? Yeah.”

She rolled her eyes; he loved to bring that up.

“You think she’s going to be mad at you?”

He shrugged. “It was a long time ago. Honestly, I thought she’d have been fired by now. It did _not_ take much effort to get the info out of her. We only got to second base.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know, actually. It’s a metaphor I heard back on Earth. I’m pretty sure it was about sex. Anyway, all we did was –“

“I do not need details of your past escapades, thank you.”

A slow grin crawled over Peter’s face and Gamora did her best not to squirm. That expression usually meant nothing good for her.

“Are you _jealous_?”

“No!” She hissed. She felt herself flush for absolutely no reason. “I just don’t want to hear –“

“Gamora’s jealous! Jealous, jealous, jealous – ow!”

She pinched his side to get him to shut up.

“Okay, you’re not jealous,” Peter said, but he was still smiling. “You just wish you were the one I – ow!”

“Focus, Peter.”

“Gees, fine. Spoil sport. But, yeah… she might still be mad at me. I probably made it a little too clear afterwards that I only wanted to know how to get to the files. I don’t want my past actions – which were stupid, by the way, and I am totally not interested in casual or –“

“Get to the point.”

“Right. I just didn’t want my past to affect our mission, and I’m afraid if she sees me, she might make getting the file we need difficult.”

Gamora let out a long breath. “You stay here. I’ll go get the file from that unfortunate woman.”

“Thanks, I – unfortunate?! Hey! The only reason she’s unfortunate is because she gave up the info before I busted out the good stuff.”

Something about the look on her face must have made him pause, because he cleared his throat before adding, “Which, again, that’s all behind me now. I don’t do that anymore.”

“I don’t care,” she said. Why he thought she did was beyond her.

“I know you don’t.”

“I’m not jealous.”

“Sure. I know.”

He clearly didn’t believe her, but Gamora didn’t feel like arguing with him further. There was no getting through Peter’s thick skull on things like these.  

Besides, if she were being honest… she hardly believed herself.


	4. Team Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from [Luthientinuviiels](http://luthientinuviiels.tumblr.com/) \- 
> 
> 19\. Things you said when we were the happiest we ever were

Peter had a black eye, scraped knuckles, bruised ribs, and a grin a mile wide.

“Did you see that guy’s face?” Rocket asked, hardly understandable through his drunken cackling. “When Drax _picked him up_?”

Drax let out a booming laugh. “It was quite amusing!”

Groot, who was standing on Rocket’s back where he lay face down on the floor, nearly fell over he laughed so hard.

“That was pretty funny,” Gamora admitted. Peter opened his good eye to look up at her smile.

In a rare display of public affection, Gamora had allowed Peter to lay his head in her lap so that she could hold an ice-pack to his bruised eye. And if her other hand occasionally stroked through his hair, he was _not_ about to complain. Or bring it up at all, for fear she would stop if he did. 

“What about when Rocket bit that lady’s hand?” Peter said. “And she threw her glass so far off it hit her friend instead of Gamora?”

That set them off laughing again – all of them except for Mantis. While she smiled, she also appeared confused.

“I do not understand,” she said. “You all got into a fight and got kicked out of a bar. Are we really happy about it?”

“Happy we kicked their asses!” Rocket declared.

“Some of our best teamwork yet,” Peter said proudly. 

“Here, I shall prove it.” Drax held his arm out. Mantis, who was seated on the floor in front of him, reached her hand out to touch him.

She burst out laughing. “You indeed feel great joy.” Then she hesitantly reached out to Rocket. “May I…?”

Rocket’s whiskers twitched, but he really must have been in a good mood, because he said, “Why not?”

“You also feel happy,” Mantis said, hand on his elbow.

“Well, yeah,” Rocket said, chuckling. “I’m remembering –“ he wheezed, laughing between words. “That guy - who fell – _off the table –_ “

Drax and Groot joined in on the riotous laughter as they continued to share memories. Mantis, meanwhile, turned to Gamora, showing more hesitation than she had even with Rocket.

“Go ahead.” Gamora shrugged. Peter was hardly paying attention at that point. He closed his eyes again, relaxed and content as Gamora continued to comb her fingers through his hair.

Mantis let out a quiet gasp. “You feel happiness… and love.”

Peter felt Gamora’s hand freeze in his hair and his eyes flew open, expecting to see her glaring at Mantis or getting ready to punch her.

Instead, her smile was soft as she gazed down at him. “Yes. I do.”

Peter couldn’t have stopped his grin if someone had paid him. He was cuddled up with Gamora and surrounded by the laughter of his friends – he didn’t need Mantis to tell him he was feeling the exact same thing.  


	5. Pet Names

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anon prompt -
> 
> 13\. Things you said at the kitchen table

Gamora was already making coffee when Peter climbed down from the cockpit and flopped into a seat at the table. He grumbled something that was either ‘good morning’ or her name.

“Good morning, Peter. How was the night shift?”

“Dark.” He rested his head on his hand. “Boring. Why can’t we just leave the ship on autopilot at night like we used to?”

“The Sovereign are still after us,” she said for probably the fifth time, pulling out the only two mugs on the ship. “Someone needs to be awake in case –“

“Yeah, yeah, in case they send in a billion more ships to blow us up. Buncha sore losers.” He sighed. “Do you think it’s worth it to try to go back to sleep?”

“Well, Groot is going to be up any minute wanting to play with your Zune. So I’d say no.”

Peter whined a little and closed his eyes, looking like he was going to try to sleep right there at the table. Gamora allowed herself a fond smile since he couldn’t see her and slid a cup of coffee in front of him.

He opened his eyes and looked at it like he hadn’t had a drink in weeks. “Aaah, coffee. Thanks, babe.”

She stilled with her own mug halfway to her mouth, heart suddenly all twitchy in her chest. Peter must have felt her staring because he put down his coffee and blinked at her. “What?”

“You called me _babe._ ”

“Oh. I did? Uh, sorry?” He said, like he wasn’t sure whether he was supposed to be or not.

“No, it’s… I don’t mind.” She was surprised by how much she didn’t mind, actually. 

Peter’s face lit up. “Really? What about honey? And sweetheart? And –“

“Don’t push it.”

“Got it… babe.” He took a sip of coffee, probably to hide his grin, but he was wildly unsuccessful.

But that was okay; she couldn’t hide hers, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have such a weakness for him calling her babe


	6. He's Her Idiot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anon prompt - 
> 
> 12\. Things you said when you thought I was asleep

It was one of those rare mornings where Peter woke up first. Gamora was usually up with the ship’s artificial sunlight, so he couldn’t help but be proud that he’d clearly worn her out last night.

Not that he was bragging, but come on – Gamora sleeping in was pretty much a rave review. It was hard not to take it as a compliment.

Peter didn’t bother to get up, just kept his head on the pillow next to her and stared. Was that creepy? He hoped it wasn’t creepy. He didn’t get the chance to watch her sleep much, so he was taking advantage of it. Her hair was a mess and her cheek was smooshed up against the pillow and he thought she’d never looked better.

He’d have liked to say that this sentimentality was uncommon, but honestly, it was how he felt every time he looked at her.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. Then he sighed. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Hey,” Gamora said without opening her eyes, causing Peter to nearly fall off the bed in shock. “Don’t talk about my idiot that way.”

He laughed. “Oh, but you can call me an idiot?” He brushed some hair out of her face and she opened her eyes.  

“Yes. Only me, though. And maybe the rest of the team, but only if you’re doing something really stupid.”

“And how often is that?”

“Almost daily.” They were both smiling, but Gamora’s tone was serious when she said, “You won’t let me say negative things about myself, so you can’t do it either. You’re my idiot and I love you.”

Peter felt a familiar warmth spread through his chest. “I love you, too.”

Then he leaned over and kissed her even though he had morning breath, because that was the kind of thing this idiot in love did. Gamora kissed him back, shoving his shoulders and rolling them over so she was laying on top of him.

“Ooh, again?” He chuckled against her mouth.  

She bit his lower lip. “Don’t get cocky.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”


	7. Stargazing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from [Stxrmora](http://stxrmora.tumblr.com/), [Scarlet-widow](http://scarlet-widow.tumblr.com/), and [atomeckova](https://atomeckova.tumblr.com/) -
> 
> 9\. Things you said when I was crying + 6. Things you said under the stars and in the grass

“Is everything okay, Peter?”

He must have heard her approaching, because he didn’t take his eyes off the sky when he responded, “Yeah. Everything’s fine.” His voice sounded rough. 

“Why aren’t you on the ship, then?” They’d had a rare break between jobs and decided to dock on a forest planet for the night, but as far as Gamora knew there had been no plans to sleep outside.

“Just watching the stars.” He tilted his head back to look at her. “Come join me.”

She only hesitated for a moment before walking over and sitting on the grass next to him.

“It doesn’t count if you don’t lay down,” Peter informed her.

“You have specific guidelines for this?” Gamora asked, but she laid down close enough for their arms to touch.

“Basic stargazing etiquette.” He slid his arm over hers to grab her hand, something that had become an instinctual motion for them lately. 

He spoke again after a few minutes. “My mother and I used to lay in the grass and listen to music when I was a kid.”

She was unsurprised to hear tears in his voice, but she had no real idea how to comfort him. So she squeezed his hand and hoped just being there would help.  

“I wish she could have met you,” he told her.  

“I wish I could have met her, too.”

“She’d have loved you… and not just because you’re an alien.” 

She chuckled. “Good to know.”

There was a rustling behind them, and Gamora titled her head to see the rest of their team coming towards them.

“Are we intruding?” Mantis asked uncertainly.

“Yeah, you’re not gonna start making out or something are you?” Rocket asked.

Peter was still looking up at the stars, but he was grinning, so Gamora took it as a yes.

“No,” she said. “Join us. I’ve been informed you must lay down, though.”

“The grass is itchy,” Drax complained, but he and the others laid down around them – except Groot, who jumped off of Rocket’s shoulder to lay on Peter’s chest.

She glanced at Peter and saw a single tear make its way down his smiling face.

“Peter,” she whispered, nudging his shoulder. He turned his head to look at her, their faces an inch apart. “She would have been proud of you.”

“Thanks,” he whispered back. She used her free hand to cup his face, wiping away a new tear and pulling him towards her for a quick kiss.

Not quick enough, apparently.

“Hey!” Rocket protested. “You said you weren’t gonna make out.”

They broke apart and Peter let out a watery laugh. “Alright, alright.”  


	8. Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from [Toriprattlover](http://toriprattlover.tumblr.com/) \- 
> 
> 14\. Things you said after you kissed me

He knew it drove her crazy, which was probably why he was doing it – he’d give her a tiny kiss, then pull back. Tiny kiss, pull back. Over and over, even when she tried to deepen it.

“Peter Jason Quill,” she said, leaning back enough to glare at him. “You better stop teasing me.”

“C’mon, Gamora, you know what I want.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Please! Just say it.”

“It’s ridiculous.”

“Just this once!”

“Fine. One time.”

“Deal!”

She sighed, rolling her eyes in preparation. “Kiss me, _Star-lord._ ”

“Yes!” He fist-pumped in victory. Then he obeyed.

—

She saw the enemy soldier before Peter did; he was facing away, aiming for another charging soldier without even noticing the target on his back.

“Peter!” She shouted, racing towards him and shoving him down behind a makeshift shelter as shots rained over their heads.

He was on his back, a little out of breath from being tossed to the ground but mercifully free of bullet-holes. Gamora, practically laying on top of him, didn’t waste a moment before pulling his face up and pressing her lips to his. She _hated_ seeing him in the line of fire.

“Thanks for saving me,” Peter said, giving her a little smile.

“Anytime.” She returned it.                          

“Are you morons planning on helping at all? Or are you just gonna have sex right there?”

“Shut up, Rocket.”        

—

He threw away the wrapper, ejected the trash into space, and he was going to replace it as soon as they landed; he thought he’d covered all his bases.

Gamora crushed that illusion in less than a minute.

She was sitting on the bunk, reading the news on her holo like she always did before bed.

“Hey,” he greeted, leaning down for a kiss. It had been nearly an hour since he’d seen her, which was a long time considering they lived in the same ship.

When she deepened the kiss, he thought she’d just missed him too.

But then she pulled away, eyebrows scrunched in suspicion. “Peter… did you eat my emergency chocolate?”

_Dammit._ He’d forgotten to brush his teeth.

“Uh… bye!”

“Peter! Get back here!”

—

He was holding her up against the wall, her legs wrapped around his waist, and he was trying to catch his breath. It probably would have been easier if he could make himself stop kissing her. He knew they had to separate eventually, but he never wanted to let her go.  

Finally, he broke away just enough to lean his forehead against hers. “That… was amazing. How did you even – with the legs? Does gravity not affect you?”

Gamora laughed breathlessly; Peter was pleased that she was panting as much as he was. “You know I’m athletic.”

“ _I’m_ athletic. You’re, like, a superhero.”

“Either way, I’m not done with you yet.”

“Wha –“

She kissed him again, quickly, then slid down and shoved him towards the bed in one motion.

“Definitely my favorite superhero,” he muttered as she climbed on top of him.

—

They were sitting on the floor of the ship, Peter leaning against a wall and Gamora leaning against him. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist and, because none of the others were around to tease them about it, she laid her arms over his.

“Can I just sleep right here?” He mumbled, resting his chin on her shoulder. He’d come to join her on the night shift because he had trouble sleeping without her.

“Your back will regret it in the morning.”

“Worth it.”

She turned her head, a soft, private smile on her lips – he had to kiss her.

The smile was still there when he pulled away.

“I love you,” she said.

“I know.”

She was quiet for a moment. Then, “… Hand Solo?”

“So close, babe! I’m so proud of you.” He kissed her again. “Also I love you a lot.”

“I know.”


	9. Earth Customs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anon prompt - 
> 
> 20\. Things you said that I wasn't meant to hear

She didn’t intend to eavesdrop; it just sort of happened. She hadn’t even reached his door yet when she heard him talking.

“Do you think I should do something more elaborate?” She heard him say.

“I am Groot!” The little tree wasn’t exactly quiet either.  

“Yeah, you’re right. She’d prefer straightforward.”

She paused with her fist poised to knock, curiosity getting the better of her.

“I am Groot.”

“Okay, how’s this? Gamora, will you go on a date with me?”

“I am Groot.”

“It’s too formal? How else am I supposed to say it?”

“I am Groot.”

“What do you mean, what if she says no? She’s not gonna say no… do you think she’s gonna say no?!”

She’d heard enough. She retreated as quietly as she could, feeling puzzled. Why would Peter be stressed about asking her on a date? True, they’d never been on one before, but they’d already kissed - _a lot._ She’d more or less admitted that she loved him. What could he possibly be worried about?

She pulled out her holo; time to do some research.

—

Some time later, with a new understanding of Terran culture and a handful of the reddest flowers she could find, she found Peter messing with some wires in the cargo hold.

“Hey, Gamora!” He said, standing up when he noticed her. His eyes went to the flowers. “What are those for?”

“For you.” She thrust them towards him and he took them, though with a very confused look on his face – did he not understand his own culture’s customs?

She pushed on. “Would you like to go somewhere to eat and then see a movie in public?”

“Like… a date?”

“Yes,” she said, relieved that he got it. “I’ve done some research, and apparently first dates are very significant on Terra. One person is supposed to present flowers to the other, and then they go eat at an upscale restaurant and watch a movie.”

Peter’s lips had been twitching during her entire speech, and he finally broke out into a grin. “Yeah, we don’t get a lot of information about Terra out here. For one thing, I’m pretty sure it’s the girl who’s supposed to receive the flowers.”

“Fine, I’ll take them back –“

“No!” He clutched them to his chest, crushing half of them in the process. “That’s a stupid custom. I’m keeping them forever.”

She tried not to look too satisfied; she’d known he would like those. “So?”

“Oh, yeah. Of course, let’s go on a date!” He looked ecstatic, and Gamora was pleased that she’d taken the pressure off of him. As cute as Peter was when he was nervous, she didn’t want him to stress about something as simple as asking her a question.

But then he frowned. “Wait. Do you even really _want_ to go on a date, or do you just think it’s something we’re supposed to do?”

“I… want to spend time with you,” she said honestly.

“But not at a fancy restaurant, right?”

“Is that not a requirement for it to be a date?” She asked. Maybe she should have checked more than one website for information.

Peter laughed. “Hell, no! I mean, I don’t know if Earth customs have changed, but a date can be anything.”

“Anything?”

“Yeah!” He grabbed one of her hands with his free one. “Wanna go watch a holo movie and make out?”

“That sounds like a much better idea.”


	10. The Look

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from [starlordudonta](http://starlordudonta.tumblr.com/) \- 
> 
> 5\. Things you didn't say at all

There were a lot of hidden meanings in the things Gamora said or did, and Peter had gotten pretty good at deciphering them. For example, use of his full name meant she was impatient; he’d figured that one out pretty early. “Star-lord” was for when she felt like teasing him.  

When she said “you’re an idiot,” she meant “you’re cute and that annoys me.” “I guess this isn’t the worst song” was code for “if you ask me to dance to it, I’ll say yes.” A simple “Peter” and a squeeze of his hand when he was upset meant “I’m here for you.”

He didn’t know what she meant when she said ‘that’s the stupidest plan I’ve ever heard.’ She insisted there was no subtext to it, but there _obviously_ was. He had the best plans.

Certain looks that she gave him had their own meanings, too. She had an _I’m about to kiss you_ look and a _you should probably stop talking_ look. There was also an _I wish we were alone right now_ look _;_ that was one of his favorites.

There was just one look he couldn’t figure out and it was really bugging him. She gave it to him in all kinds of different situations: in bed, when they were just talking, at the table, after a mission, etc. It was a serious look and usually fairly intense… kind of similar to _I’m about to kiss you_ and sometimes accompanied by “you’re an idiot.”

It didn’t mean “I love you,” because he’d already identified her look for that – a soft, sweet smile that made his insides turn to goo. He didn’t think it had to do with anger either, because he knew when Gamora was angry – she’d never felt the need to be subtle about that.

Then one night, when they were all out at a slightly seedy bar, he finally got it.

“Another round!” Drax shouted at the bartender, who nodded politely.

“And make ours a double!” Rocket instructed. He and Drax were having the same competition they had nearly every time they drank: who has the highest tolerance? It was a surprisingly fair match, considering Rocket’s size.

“Hers is a water,” Peter said, jerking his thumb over at Mantis. They’d decided it would probably be best to cut her off after she slapped the counter with one hand and then laughingly told it that it was “feeling very dizzy.”

“His, too.” Gamora pointed at Groot, who was standing on the counter inside the remnants of another glass of water he’d already soaked up.

“Another one?” Peter asked. “Don’t make yourself sick.”

“He’s a growing tree,” Gamora said indulgently.

“He’s gonna grow sick if we let him drink too much in one sitting,” he muttered.

Then he turned when he felt a tap at his shoulder.

It was a pink girl, standing very close. “Hi,” she said with a smile, sliding one hand onto his shoulder and another on the counter in front of him. “I’m Brit.”

Before Peter got the chance to pointedly introduce her to his kickass girlfriend, Gamora introduced herself – by reaching over and stabbing Brit’s hand with a fork.  

“Uh…” Peter said, right before Brit started screaming and Rocket started laughing his ass off. He hardly noticed, though, because Gamora had just turned to him and she was giving him that _look_ and all the sudden he knew what it meant:

_Mine._

“Holy shit,” he breathed. He was probably giving her his own _I wish we were alone right now_ look, but they kind of had a situation at the moment.

“We better head out,” Rocket said through his cackling. “Security’s coming!”

They all hopped off their bar stools, Gamora scooping up Groot. Brit was still screaming her head off, even though the fork was like _barely_ in there. Peter considered apologizing, but then Gamora turned to her and said, with a completely straight face, “nice to meet you,” before running for the exit.

Peter couldn’t help it – he burst out laughing, even as they all scrambled to avoid the security guards. Gamora grabbed his hand and gave him a _that was kind of fun_ look, tugging him along. He grinned through the entire escape.

Damn, but he loved this woman.


	11. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anon prompt - 
> 
> 15\. Things you said with too many miles between us

She was in her room on the rented ship when her holo started ringing. A picture of Peter making a ridiculous face popped up on the screen (he had his tongue sticking out, which he told her was a sign of maturity on Terra, but she wasn’t sure she believed him).

She sat down on the bed to answer it. “Peter?”

“Gamora!” At first his face took up most of the screen, but then he took a step back and she could see the table behind him; he must have been using the large holo in the Milano’s common area.  

“Is everything alright?”

“Yep! Just wanted to see how close you were getting.”

“You know we won’t get there until morning.”

Recently, the Nova Corps had discovered that the leftover Ronan fanatics had huge weapon caches stored on two different planets, so they’d hired the Guardians to take them out. It was a simple job. The only problem was that they had to take out both caches at the same time, otherwise as soon as one exploded, the fanatics would be on their way to defend the other one.

So, they’d split up: Gamora, Rocket, and Groot on a ship the Nova had leant them, and Peter, Drax, and Mantis back on the Milano.

“Okay, fine.” Peter sighed like she was making him give up some big secret. “So I just wanted to say hi.”

“Well, hi,” she said, unable to rein in the fondness in her voice.

“Hi. You’re pretty,” he said with a big, goofy smile. 

“Someone is feeling affectionate today.”

“What can I say?” He shrugged. “I miss you.”

Gamora bit her lip. She did not consider herself to be very good at expressing her feelings. Before, she had thought Peter was the same way, but once he was secure that she also felt their ‘unspoken thing,’ he had become rather effusive.

Still, she _did_ miss him; they’d taken to sharing a bed recently, and she wasn’t looking forward to sleeping without him.

“I miss you, too,” she mumbled.

“What was that?” Peter teasingly cupped his ear and leaned closer to the screen.

“You heard what I said.”

“C’mooooooon, say it louder. What’s the harm?”

“I don’t want Rocket to hear.”

“Oh, he won’t.” Peter waved a dismissive hand. “I just wanna know you miss me, too.” He extended his bottom lip in an exaggerated pout that she found irritatingly endearing.

“You’re an idiot,” she said. “But I miss you, too.”

“See?” He grinned. “Was that so –“

“Are you _kidding?”_ Rocket shouted from the other side of the door. “You’ve been apart for a freakin _day_!”

Gamora raised an eyebrow at Peter and gestured toward the door, a non-verbal ‘I told you so.’

“Quit eavesdropping, Rocket!” He yelled.

“I wasn’t!”

“I am Groot! I am Groot!”

“What? Yeah, she’s talking to Quill –“

The door burst open and Groot came running in, climbing up onto Gamora’s lap with no warning.

“I am Groot!” He yelled, waving at the screen.

Peter gave an exasperated little wave back. “Hi, buddy.”

Rocket hopped up onto the bed next to her, and she didn’t even spare an eye-roll when he squeezed his head into frame and said, “Hey, loser. How’s the codependence going?”

“Terrific,” Peter said, glaring at him. “Now can you –“

“Is that Rocket?” Came Mantis’s voice from Peter’s end. He dropped his head into his hands when she came running into frame. “Oh, it’s everybody!” She smiled at the screen. Then she turned to yell, “Drax! Come here! We are all talking on the holo!”

“Oh my god,” Peter grumbled into his hands as Drax entered the room and immediately started arguing with Rocket about a mess that had been left in the cargo hold.

Gamora was surprised to find herself smiling, but she couldn’t help it. Their friends had just busted in on a private conversation and taken it over, and now Peter was looking at her through his spread fingers and smiling at her sheepishly. It all just felt so wonderfully… _normal._

So she gave Peter a little wave and mouthed ‘it’s okay,’ perfectly content to allow Groot to stand on her legs and take hold of the holo.

“I am Groot!” He said, hopping off the bed with it.

“Hey!” Rocket yelled. “Bring that back!”

“Gamora!” She could hear Peter yell from the screen. “Help! Groot is kidnapping us!”

“I’ll save you!” She said in the most serious voice she could, chasing a cackling Groot down the hall, Rocket not far behind.

Maybe expressing her feelings wasn’t so bad, after all.


	12. I Know You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from [shinobi-ikimono](https://shinobi-ikimono.tumblr.com/), [i-am-drowning-in-the-rain](https://i-am-drowning-in-the-rain.tumblr.com/), and [nannynanncy0](https://nannynanncy0.tumblr.com/) \- 
> 
> 1\. Things you said at 1am
> 
> Takes place before Vol 2

He found her in the cockpit, sitting on the floor with her back against the wall. His heart clenched a bit, just looking at her. She was dressed in the shorts and t-shirt she wore to sleep, her hair loosely curled and tousled and pretty.

_Shit._ H _e_ really needed to get these feelings under control.

“What do you want, Peter?” She asked without taking her eyes off the window.

“I heard you get up. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m fine,” she said mechanically. “Sorry I woke you.”

“No, it’s… the wall’s fault. We need to get thicker walls.”

She gave him a strange look and he felt heat rise in his face. It was the middle of the night – how was he supposed to keep his cool around her at this hour? It was hard enough after a full night’s sleep.

But she was clearly distressed, which was unsurprising considering what had happened earlier that day; he couldn’t let her sit there wallowing. So he shook off his embarrassment and slid down the wall next to her, joining her in pretending to focus on the stars.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“Talk about what?”

“You know what.”

She ignored him.

“That guy was a jerk,” he said. Her jaw tensed. “I mean, what kind of person _complains_ about who’s rescuing him?”

“The kind of person who knows who I am.”

“Hey,” he said firmly. “He knows nothing about who you are.”

“He knows –“

“Who you used to work for. Because you were freaking kidnapped and tortured. Gamora, look at me.”

She did, reluctantly. He could practically see the pain in her eyes and he wanted to go find that ungrateful jagweed they’d rescued earlier and beat him senseless until he apologized.

But that probably wasn’t what Gamora needed right now.

“We all did shit, okay? But you got away from Ronan and Thanos, and you saved the damn galaxy. And yeah, it’s gonna take a while for word to get around, but lots of people already know you as a hero.”

“Not everyone.”

“Well, duh. You’re never gonna get everyone’s approval. Hell, not everybody even likes _me_ and I’m Star-lord.”

She rolled her eyes and the tension in her shoulders eased, which was exactly the reaction Peter was hoping for.

“Point is, _I_ know who you are. And…” He swallowed the sudden desire to tell her that he loved her or kiss her or something else equally insane. Instead, he reached over and gently grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together. “And you’re the best person I know.”

She stared at him for a long moment; he hoped she couldn’t see the little hearts that were probably floating around his head. When she spoke, it was with a tiny smile and an unexpected amount of emotion. “What about Groot?”

Peter grinned. “It _was_ Groot, but he bit my finger yesterday so now he’s in second place.”

She laughed softly. “Well, thanks… and you’re the best person I know, too.” She said it quickly and while averting her eyes, but it warmed the hell out of his heart anyway.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“Good.”

He squeezed her hand gently. “Besides, I’m the best person everyone knows.”

“Okay, never mind. It’s Groot now.”

“Yeah, that sounds right.”


	13. Hurt (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anon prompt - 
> 
> Things you said when you were hurt

There were a lot of things Peter didn’t like doing: laundry; the dishes; any kind of cleaning, really. But laying on the ground and slowly bleeding to death from a gunshot wound had just rocketed to the top of the list.

“Gamora,” he gasped.

“Don’t talk!” She pressed her hands more firmly over the hole in his shoulder, which _ow._ “Rocket!” she shouted. “Where are you with the ship?”

Peter didn’t hear what Rocket said in response – his ear piece had been knocked out when he fell back. But he knew Rocket had taken off several minutes ago to retrieve the ship, while Gamora had fallen to her knees by his side to put pressure on the wound. Drax stood a little in front of them, picking off any of the remaining Sakaraans who hadn’t retreated yet.  

“Gamora,” he tried again. His vision was starting to blur, and he needed to get this out. “I have to tell you –“

“Whatever it is, it can wait,” she said firmly, but he could see the desperation in her eyes. He’d always loved her eyes.

“I can’t… take the chance,” he wheezed. It was getting harder and harder to form words.  

“Peter, no.” She was still pressing hard onto his wound, but her voice was unsteady. “You’re not going to die! If you die, I swear I’ll kill you.”

“’Mora,” he said quietly. He had to say this. She already knew, because Mantis blurted it out, but there was no way he was going to die without telling her himself. “I love you.”

“Dammit, Peter, shut up, you can’t just say it like this!” she yelled. “You’re going to be fine!”

He hated to see the pain on her face, but his last thought before everything faded to black was _at least now she knows for sure._

—

Things were a lot better when he woke up. He wasn’t in nearly as much pain, this hospital bed was a lot comfier than the dirt, and Gamora was still there – with a considerably less agonized expression, which was always a plus.

She was sitting in a chair pulled up close to his bed, leaning back slightly with her eyes closed, but he didn’t think she was asleep. She was holding her sword in one hand, like she was ready to slay someone at a moment’s notice.

He gave himself a few seconds to stare at her and be thankful he was still alive to do so before he croaked out, “G’mora?”

Her eyes snapped open. “Peter,” she gasped. “You’re up!” Her relief was clear in every syllable; how long had he been out? It couldn’t have been that long, since she was still in the same clothes. He could see the blood stains on her shirt.

She sat up in her chair and passed him a cup of water. She watched him the entire time he drank it, and he’d barely moved it away from his lips when she took it from him and set it back down.

“How do you feel?”

“Okay,” he said truthfully. They must have given him something good, because he could only feel the pain in his shoulder when he moved. “What about the others?”

“They’re fine,” she said. “Actually, I was supposed to call them when you woke up.” She made no move to do so, though. Her eyes kept moving from his face to his shoulder to the screens monitoring his vital signs.

“Where are we?”

“Nova hospital. That bullet nicked one of your arteries,” she said. Then she muttered something about fragile Terran biology. Which reminded him why he was there in the first place, which reminded him of what he’d said while he was bleeding out.

He wasn’t really sure whether or not he should be sorry for it – not for saying that he loved her, because it was true and he was pretty sure she knew it, but just the way he said it. What if she’d thought he only said it because he thought he was about to die?

“I meant it, you know,” he told her.

“What?” she asked hesitantly, which made him think she had an idea of where he was going.  

“When I said I love you.” He made himself look her in the eye, even though his heart had suddenly decided to lodge itself in his throat. “I do.”

“Oh,” she said, a couple thousand emotions flickering across her face.

“You don’t have to say it back,” he said quickly. “I just wanted you to know.”

There was something scared in Gamora’s eyes that Peter wanted to make go away. The truth was, he knew she loved him, and he also knew that she wasn’t quite ready to say it yet.  

“I missed you while I was unconscious,” he said, which startled a laugh out of her.

“How would you – nevemind.” She shook her head, the fear in her eyes starting to dissipate. 

“And I wanna kiss you, but it hurts to move.”

“That sounds like a problem.”

“Baaaaaabe,” he whined, pouting.

She smiled indulgently, standing up so she could lean over and kiss him. She held the godslayer in one hand and was cupping his face with the other, and at that moment it didn’t matter to Peter that he was lying in a hospital bed with a hole in his shoulder; as was always the case when he kissed her, he felt like could stay there forever.  


	14. Scared (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anon prompt - 
> 
> Things you said when you were scared
> 
> Follow-up to the last chapter

She sat on the edge of Peter’s hospital bed, holding her sword towards the door as she listened to the approaching footsteps.

“Are you really going to do this every time?” Peter asked wearily.

“Hush.”

The door opened, and the Nova Corps nurse who stepped through didn’t even blink an eye at the sword being pointed at his face. He did sigh deeply, however, as he held out his badge for Gamora’s inspection.  

“You may proceed,” she said regally, moving her sword so it was no longer in his way.

“Gee, thanks.”

She kept a close watch on the nurse as he fiddled with the machine at Peter’s bedside and examined the IV in his arm.

“Everything seems to be fine,” he said, making a note on a holopad.

“Great!” Peter grinned. “Can I go home early then?”

The nurse was already shaking his head. “We want to keep you til tomorrow just to be safe.” He glanced at Gamora. “Though if you were anyone else we would have kicked you out by now for having that.” He nodded his head towards her sword.

Gamora glared and pointed it at him on his way out.

“This is getting ridiculous,” Peter said as the door shut. “No one is coming after me.”

“I’m not taking the chance,” she said, feeling something in her chest tighten at the thought. “And it is not ridiculous.”  

“You almost stabbed Drax yesterday!”

“He shouldn’t have entered so quickly. Which he admitted.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because he’s a nutter butter who thinks threatening everyone with a sword is a rational thing to do.”

“It is when any one of these people could be working for the enemy!” she said tensely.

“I really doubt any of them care enough to come back to try and kill me.”

“You don’t know that.”

“They weren’t even after us! We just happened to be in their way when I got shot.”

“I…” _Shit._ Gamora screwed her eyes shut, the image of Peter bleeding on the ground rushing back to her. 

There was just so much bloodand Peter was sweating and shaking and there was nothing she could do but put pressure on it until they got to the hospital. And even then, they took him into surgery where she couldn’t follow and she had to wait for what felt like an eternity before he came back out, pale and unconscious but mercifully _alive._

“Gamora?” Peter’s concerned voice made her open her eyes, realizing too late that she’d started breathing faster and her hands were shaking. “What’s wrong?” He lifted his arm to put a hand on hers, wincing as he moved his shoulder.

She took a deep, unsteady breath. _He’s fine, he’s okay, he’s alive._ But she felt it anyway – the water welling in her eyes, the hitch in her breathing. _Dammit,_ she’d been holding this back for two days, why did it have to happen now?

“Hey, c’mere,” he said, tugging gently on her arm. She let him pull her into an awkward sort of cuddle, with her carefully holding her sword out of the way and laying her head on the middle of his chest to avoid his injury. He brought his good arm up to stroke her back and she sighed a little, relaxing into him.  

“What is it?” Peter asked quietly.  

Something about the way he was rubbing her back must have shorted out her brain, because she told him with no hesitation. “I almost lost you.” She felt her cheeks flush a bit and buried her face into his shirt to hide it. One stray tear fell and splashed onto the fabric.  

“Oh,” he said, tightening his arm around her. “Gamora, you know I’m terrified of losing you too, right? But no one is gonna come in here trying to hurt me, I promise.”

“Maybe it was a bit of an overreaction,” she mumbled. She felt Peter’s chuckle, heard his heartbeat.  

“Just a bit.”

She was quiet for a moment while she allowed his rhythmic breathing to soothe her fears. She relaxed even more into him, a sense of calm replacing her overprotective furor, something settling into place in her mind.  

“I love you,” she said matter-of-factly, almost without even thinking about it.

She felt Peter’s heart start beating a little faster. “Good,” he said. She could hear the smile in his voice. “I was hoping you did.”


	15. Alyssa Milano

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from [jharvelles](http://jharvelles.tumblr.com/) \- 
> 
> 11\. Things you said when you were drunk

Peter had long ago perfected the art of drinking just enough alcohol to get drunk without losing control. 

His teammates, apparently, had not, judging by the fact that most of them were currently passed out on the floor around him (including Groot, but only because it was well past his bedtime; they weren’t about to give alcohol to a baby, c’mon).

Gamora was the only one besides him who had managed to stay awake, but that was because she was some kind of drinking superhero.

“How’re you doing that?” Peter mumbled into her stomach. He was currently curled up on the floor with his head in her lap, trying not to fall asleep – okay, so he might actually have toed the line as far as drinking too much went, but it was hard to care when Gamora was so comfy.

“Doing what?” she asked, casually sipping a beer.

“Being all – sitting and stuff. You had as much to drink as the rest of us.”

“Alcohol doesn’t affect me as easily.”  

He turned his head a bit so he could look up at her more easily. “You’re such a badass,” he said, proud that he was only slurring his words a little.

She smirked, amused. “So you’ve said.”

His eyes traced over the scars on her face and his head bumped lightly against the hilt of her sword where it was strapped to her thigh.

“Hey,” he said. “Hey, G’mora? Hey –“

“Yes, Peter?”                                                                                                     

“I ever tell you why I named the ship the Milano?”

“After a character on a TV show.”

“No. Yes.” He giggled at his own fumbling response. “I mean, she was actually the actress. But like, _why_ I named it after her?”

“No, why?”

“C’mere,” he said, crooking his finger for her to bend down. “Issa secret.”  

She indulgently lowered her head and he whispered, “I use’ta want her to be my girlfriend when I was a kid. Even when I thought love was icky.”

“Icky?”

“Yep. Scientific term from Earth there, you’re welcome.” He laughed loud enough at his own joke that he briefly woke up Rocket; he heard him roll over and grumble something about ‘damn singing fool’ before falling back asleep.

“She was cool, though,” Peter said after he’d calmed down. “Like you.”

“Was she?” Gamora had started playing with his hair and he leaned further into her as he kept talking.

“Yeah. In the show she was really strong and awesome. She punched someone once, and she liked basketball.”

“What’s basketball?”

“Sport.”

“I don’t care for sports.”

Peter waved a hand (or tried to; he ended up just sort of slapping the floor). “Doesn’t matter. The important part was the punching. And you’re into swords, which are cooler than sports.”

“I agree.” She was looking at him with a soft, pretty smile that melted his insides even when he was sober. “So, your childhood dreams came true then? David Hasselhoff was your father and Alyssa Milano is your girlfriend?”

“No, no.” He shook his head, which made him dizzy, but he pressed on. “You’re way better than her. You saved the galaxy and you killed a monster and you do that thing where you scratch the back of my neck – aahh, yeah, like that.” He closed his eyes, lost in pleasure for a moment.

“Plus,” he continued on a yawn, keeping his eyes closed. “You let me fall asleep on your lap.”

“Peter Quill, you better not.” She tried to sound disapproving, but he could feel her stomach jerk with repressed laughter.

“Mmm, too late.” He wrapped his arms around her so he was basically hugging her waist, settling in like she was a pillow.

“Ten minutes,” she said. “Then we’re moving to a bed.”

“Deal,” he mumbled. Though he was pretty sure she was gonna have to carry him.

But she was badass and strong, even stronger than Alyssa Milano, so she could handle it.


	16. Sick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anon prompt - 
> 
> 10\. Things you said that made me feel like shit
> 
> Also for [enigma731](http://enigma731.tumblr.com/), who wanted sick fic

“Peter? Are you okay?”

The response was a pained groan from the other side of the closed door. Gamora didn’t quite know what that meant, so she just shrugged to herself and walked in.

Peter was half laying, half sitting on his bed, leaning his forehead and most of his upper body against the wall behind it. He popped open one eye when she entered and grunted.

“I’m assuming you’re ill,” she said. At least judging by the sounds of vomiting, followed by rigorous tooth-brushing, she’d heard coming from the bathroom earlier.  

He grunted again, which sounded affirmative. Gamora fidgeted a bit, standing awkwardly in the doorway. She wanted to help, but had very little experience with sickness.

“Is there any medicine you can take?”

He sighed, rolling his forehead against the wall a little. “No, it’s just food poisoning.”

“What? You think someone poisoned your food?”

“No, no. It just means I ate something my body didn’t like and now it’s being spiteful. I think it was that weird fruit at the last port.”

Gamora processed that for a moment, then decided it was the wrong time to marvel at how fragile Terrans were. “How long does it last?”

“Usually just a couple hours, unless it’s a really bad one.” He closed his eyes again, and she wondered whether she should just leave him there to sleep. But his face was scrunched up in pain, he had an arm wrapped around his stomach, and there was sweat breaking out over his forehead.

She made a quick decision, leaving the room and returning a moment later with a cold, wet cloth.

He started a bit when she walked in again. “You came back.”

“Of course I came back.” She closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed. Peter moved so his face wasn’t against the wall anymore, allowing her to press the cloth to his forehead. He noticeably relaxed as she dabbed it all around his face, wiping away the perspiration. “Did you think I just abandoned you without a word?”

“No! I just… it’s been a really long time since someone took care of me when I was sick.”

His face actually became tender as he said it, giving her a soft smile, but Gamora’s heart clenched painfully. Thinking about Peter, feeling ill with no one to help… she swallowed, continuing her ministrations with the cloth far longer than she needed to.

“Same for you, I’m sure,” Peter said after a moment.

She shrugged, finally taking the cloth away. “Yes, well… that’s in the past now.”

“Exactly,” he said. “And if there’s ever a sickness that gets past your crazy strong immune system, I’ll be there for you too, to watch you puke and wipe away your gross sweat.”

That was… oddly sweet. “Thank you, Peter. Is there anything else that might make you feel better?”

He got a sweet, playful grin on his face. “Maybe if you held my hand?”

She ducked her head in an unsuccessful attempt to hide a smile. “Alright.” She took one of his hands, lacing their fingers together.

“Much better.” Then he scooted so there was more room on the bed, laying a bit flatter. “I bet I would feel even better if you laid down and snuggled with me.”

She obliged, laying down facing him with their entwined hands between them, letting him throw his other arm over her waist and press their foreheads together.

“Ah, I was right,” he said. “You’re the best doctor in the galaxy.”

Gamora chuckled. “Anything else?” She asked, though Peter’s eyes were already starting to drift closed.

“I think I’d feel _even better_ if you kissed me.”

“Good thing you brushed your teeth,” she muttered before she closed the small distance between them, giving him a gentle, sweet kiss that lasted only a few seconds.

When she pulled away, Peter sighed happily, keeping his eyes closed and settling his head down onto the pillow.

“I’m cured,” he whispered.


	17. Missing Scene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from [elizabeatrice](https://elizabeatrice.tumblr.com/) \- 
> 
> 22\. Things you said after it was over
> 
> Also for [enigma731](http://enigma731.tumblr.com/), who wanted a version of this scene where Peter was already there when she woke up. 
> 
> Missing scene from Vol 2

Gamora woke up on a couch with no idea how she got there, but with a vague memory of panic in her chest. She didn’t recognize the ship she was in and there was a pressure on her hand.

“You’re up,” Peter said when she turned her head and saw him there, sitting across from her and holding her hand. His voice was rough, shaky.

“Peter?” 

How was he there? The last thing she remembered, he had been trapped in Ego’s core. She’d tried to go save him and then… nothing. Had she dreamed the whole thing?

“Yeah, it’s me.” There were tear tracks on his face. _Why?_ She was having a bit of trouble processing everything.

Then she sat up and glanced at the couch next to her, saw Mantis laying there still unconscious, and it came crashing down on her: _yes, this is real, he should have died but he’s alive, he’s here._ She wrenched her hand away from his as fast as possible in order to launch herself at him, wrapping him in the tightest hug she could without squeezing the breath from his body.

_“Peter.”_ She felt the pressure of his arms around her, the strength of his back beneath her hands, and she tried to take it all in, reassure herself that he was really alive. Tears prickled the corner of her eyes, sheer relief nearly overwhelming her.  

“Are you okay?” she asked. She needed it confirmed in every possible way; she could see him, feel him, and she needed to hear him.

“I’m alive,” he said unsteadily, slightly muffled against her shoulder. “And you’re alive. But…” he trailed off, and Gamora finally registered that the tear tracks on his face must have been there for a reason.

“How?” she whispered. “How did you make it back?”

“Yondu, he….” he choked on a sob, pulling her into him even more, possibly the tightest she’d ever been held in her life. It was clear that whatever had happened, Yondu hadn’t survived it.

“I’m so sorry, Peter.” She squeezed him even harder, bringing one hand up to cradle the back of his head, and just let him cry, let herself feel the relief at having him back. Twice that day, she’d thought he was going to die, and twice he had survived and come back to her.

Gamora had to admit that she had never really liked or trusted Yondu. Peter always had mixed emotions when he talked about him, and what she’d seen of him herself hadn’t exactly given her a good impression.

But all she knew now was that he was the reason Peter was alive, and that was enough for her to be grateful to the man forever.

Peter calmed after a few moments, pulling back. Gamora reluctantly let her arms drop, but kept one of her hands on his wrist, needing some point of contact. He used his free hand to wipe the tears off his cheeks. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“Don’t be,” she said gently.

When he looked at her, his eyes were haunted and red-rimmed. “Not for crying. Although I did get your shirt wet.” He smiled, but it fell quickly. “I mean… I’m sorry I said Ego was my family. I didn’t… family doesn’t have to be blood. I get that now.” He turned his wrist over to hold her hand again.

Gamora fought the desire to ask him what had happened. She didn’t know exactly how long she’d been out, but she could tell it would be too soon, too raw for him. “It’s okay, Peter. I understand. You always wanted a father.”

He let out a watery laugh. “I think I actually had one. I had one the whole time. And I have a family, too.” He stroked her knuckles with his thumb and took a deep, shuddering breath. “I’m so glad you’re alive, Gamora.”

She bit her lip in a vain attempt to keep the emotion out of her voice. “I’m glad you’re alive too, Peter. I thought…”

“I know.” This time it was him who pulled her in for a hug, gentler and less urgent than the last, but no less comforting. She sighed into the embrace, thinking that there was no way she could deny her feelings for him at this point. More importantly, she had no real desire to anymore.

This wasn’t exactly the time to tell him, but she didn’t think she’d be able to hold it in much longer. Besides, the way he was holding her, the hand that was gently playing with her hair, the way _she_ was stroking his – he probably already knew.


	18. She's Protective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anon prompt - 
> 
> 7\. Things you said while we were driving

Peter approached the cockpit with some hesitation. He wasn’t sure if Gamora was in an ‘I’m upset so don’t talk to me’ mood or an ‘I’m upset so _please_ talk to me’ one. He’d have to risk it – how else was he gonna find out?  

She was sitting in the seat that was usually his, steering the ship with one hand (probably just for something to do; they were going through a calm stretch of space that the autopilot could have easily handled).

“Gamora?” He ventured. She stiffened but didn’t turn around. She didn’t tell him to go away, though, so he came to stand next to her. “I brought an icepack.”

She glanced down at her hand, examining the knuckles. “It’s fine. It’s already almost healed.”

“Indulge me?” He gave her his best pleading face and she shrugged, holding her hand out but keeping her head facing forward.

Peter sat down in the other chair, swiveling it so he was facing her. He cradled her hand and gently placed the ice pack on top of it. She healed quickly because of her body mods but she’d _decked_ that guy back at the bar; her hand had to hurt a little.

“What happened?”

“It was foolish,” she muttered.  

“You don’t _do_ foolish,” he said. “C’mon. Look at me.”

It took a moment, but she eventually set the ship to autopilot and turned her chair so she was facing him, too.

“I was gone for like three minutes,” Peter said. “And then I turn around and you’re knocking some guy to the floor.”

Gamora bit her lip, a pretty clear sign that she was reluctant to admit something. He swallowed, trying to tamp down the emotions in his voice when he asked, “Did he try to touch you?”

“No, nothing like that,” she said, and his shoulders sagged with relief.

“Well then what did he do? He must have done something.”

“Look, he just… he said something.”

He felt the anger start to roil inside him again. “About you? What did he say? Should we have Rocket strap an explosive to his –“

“No, Peter, calm down! It wasn’t about me, it was about you.”

“Me?” He nearly dropped her hand in shock. “Wait, were you… were you defending my honor or something?”  

She huffed, and he thought he detected a hint of a blush in her cheeks. “Don’t be ridiculous, Peter.”

“You were, weren’t you?” He couldn’t have kept the grin off his face if he tried. “What did he say? Tell me, tell me!”

She searched his face, seeming a little confused. “Wait. You don’t think it’s silly?”

“Of course it’s silly!” He chuckled. “But in a good way! My kickass girlfriend punched someone because they said something bad about me; how awesome is that?”  

A slow smile crept across her face. “I still shouldn’t have done it.”

“Yeah, maybe.” He waved his hand dismissively. “But why did you?”

“He said you were just a criminal.” Her mouth twisted in anger as she said it. “Just ‘some arrogant thief who thinks he’s a bigshot now.’”

“You know that like, half the people in the galaxy have probably said something similar, right?”

Gamora looked displeased at the thought. Peter took the icepack away and lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. She rolled her eyes at the cheesy move but cheered up anyway.

“Hey,” he said excitedly. “If we go find everyone who was ever mean to me, will you punch them?”

She laughed. “Sure, Peter.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! Sorry for posting all 18 of those at once (for those of you who are reading these right away!). The rest will be posted one at a time after I post them on tumblr :)


	19. More Pet Names

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from [kakikiro](http://kakikiro.tumblr.com/) \- 
> 
> 2\. Things you said through your teeth

“Just admit it.”

“Is this really the best time, Peter?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Because we’re tied up and locked in a cell?”

“Psh. The others are gonna be here in five minutes, it’s all part of the plan.”

“Still, we should be staying alert.”

“You just wanna change the subject because you’re afraid to admit it.”

“There’s nothing to admit, Peter.”

“I already know it’s true.”

“Then why are you being annoying about it?”

“Because I wanna hear you say it. C’mon, Gamora, admit you like the pet names.”

“I tolerate them at best.”

“Then why did you smile when I called you ‘babe’ earlier? When we were letting them capture us?”

“Sometimes I smile before I stab people.”

“… Is it weird that that turns me on a bit?”

“Yes.”

“Good thing you like me weird, honey.”

“Peter.”

“Yes, love?”

“You know how much you’re pushing it right now, don’t you?”

“I do. There’s a reason I’m doing this while your hands are tied up.”

“I could still retaliate when we get out of here.”

“Is that a come on?”

“No, it’s a threat.”

“Same thing… sweetie.”

“ _Not_ sweetie.”

“Ha! So you admit that you like the other ones?”

*indistinct mumbling*

“What was that, darling?”

“Ugh. If you stop being so obnoxious, I will admit that I do, sometimes, like _some_ of the pet names you call me. Although I dislike the term ‘pet names.’ I am not a pet.”

“Yes – ow!”

“Did you just try to fist pump while your hands are cuffed together?”

“Maybe. But who cares? Point is, you love the pet names and I knew it!”

“I said no such thing! I said I occasionally –“

“– feel your heart glow with love when you hear them?”

“Didn’t I say you were to stop being obnoxious if I admitted I tolerate your pet names?”

“Yes, but I didn’t agree. Angel.”

“… I’m leaving you.”

“Whatever you say, babe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is so short, I've been traveling this week! Also, you can read it on tumblr [here](https://gamoraspeter.tumblr.com/post/161837462023/starmora-2-or-18-whichever-hasnt-been-asked-yet) if you want! :)


	20. 'Shotgun' Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from 'JCD' - 'Can you write a fanfiction fabrication of what Peter and Gamora's wedding might be like? If possible, can you also include how a Starmora proposal might play out? Thanks.'

“You know, Earth had one of these too.”

Gamora barely looked up from the knife she was casually playing with when she asked, “A seedy casino?”

“No… well, yes,” Peter said. They were sitting in the huge lobby outside the casino, waiting for the others to finish their last game so they could leave. “But I meant a place that was famous for shotgun weddings.” 

He jerked his thumb towards the back of the room, where several booths stood side-by-side, the words ‘marriages here’ written above them in dozens of languages. “It was just a city, not a whole planet, but still.”

She glanced back and furrowed her brow. “I don’t see any shotguns.”

“It just means quick weddings,” he said with a smirk. “You know, for people who don’t want to wait even a few hours, or just don’t want a big fuss.”

“I see,” she said, looking curiously at him. “Are weddings required on Terra?”  

“Not technically, but they were really common. My classmates used to make fun of me because my mom wasn’t married.”

She frowned. “That’s terrible.”

“Yeah, it was pretty gross,” he said with a scowl. “Besides, you don’t need to be married to be in love.” Then he smiled at her, reaching over to take her knife-free hand. “I get the appeal, though.”

“Of being married?”

“Yeah. Declaring officially that you love a person. Having a way for everyone to instantly know ‘yeah, those people mean to be together forever.’” He shrugged, staring down where he was playing with her hand.

She was quiet for a moment before she asked, “Would you like to?”

His head snapped up. He couldn’t quite read her expression. “Huh?”

“Would you like to get married?”

“Would _you_ like to get married?” he asked, trying to sound like his heart was _not_ attempting to pound its way out of his chest.

“I see the appeal,” she said, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. “It would be nice to have something else to call you; I dislike the term ‘boyfriend.’”

“Yeah,” he breathed, pretty sure he was looking at her like she hung all the stars in the galaxy. “That would be nice.”

“Okay,” she said, standing up and pocketing her knife. She gave him a full-fledged grin. “Let’s do it.”

He sat stunned for a moment before he practically squeaked, jumping out of his chair and cupping her face to kiss her, though it was difficult because they were both smiling so wide.

“Oh, wait!” he said when they pulled apart. “This isn’t how it’s supposed to go!”

“No?” Gamora raised an eyebrow.

“Hang on,” he said, searching his pockets. “There’s a ritual thingy from Earth. I saw it on TV.”

After a moment of searching, the best he could come up with was an old gear from the Milano they’d replaced days ago and he’d forgotten to throw away. He thanked himself for being an unconscious hoarder as he hastily wiped it off on his pants and got down on one knee, holding it out to her.

“Gamora,” he said solemnly. “Will you marry me?”

She blinked at him for a second, looking between him and the gear. “I’ve already said –“

“It’s part of the ritual!” he said eagerly. “C’mon, just answer.”

She shook her head but smiled indulgently. “Yes, Peter, as we’ve already established, I will marry you.”

“Yes!” He did a fist-pump, and she allowed him to slip the gear onto her wrist.

“Why am I wearing this?” she asked.

“It’s supposed to be a ring, but this is all I had,” he said hastily, standing up and squeezing her in a tight hug. “She said yes!” he announced to the mostly empty room – everyone was in the casino except a couple other people waiting around like they were. One A’askvariian clapped their tentacles together a couple of times unenthusiastically.

“Let’s go find the others.” Gamora grabbed his hand to pull him into the casino and he followed happily.

The rest of their team was still assembled at a card table, about to start another round even though they were meant to be finishing up.

“Hey, a-holes!” Peter yelled from right behind them.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re almost done,” Rocket grumbled, hardly even turning to look at them.

“Well, you better hurry, because me and Gamora are gonna get married and we want you to be there.”

They all turned fully at that, Rocket actually dropping his cards and Groot, now roughly the size of a two-year-old Terran, nearly falling off Drax’s shoulder in his excitement.

“That is wonderful!” Mantis said, clapping her hands much more enthusiastically than the tentacled stranger had.

“No wonder you’re being extra sappy.” Rocket tried to scowl, but it looked more like a smile to Peter.

“We’re just holding hands,” Gamora said, rolling her eyes.

“I thought you were already married.” Drax looked confused.

“What?” Gamora looked confused back. “No, we’re – why would you think we were already married?”

“You act like it.” He shrugged.

Peter shook his head. “Well, we’re not, but we’re gonna be, so let’s go!”

The team abandoned their game, Rocket only fake-grumbling about it a little bit, and Peter and Gamora led the group through the casino. He grinned at her every couple of steps, feeling his heart warm a little more every time he saw her answering smile. Groot bounced along beside them, keeping up a cheerful chorus of his name. 

They walked up to a bored looking notary (or whatever they were called on this planet) in one of the booths.

“Can I help you?”

“We would like to be married, please,” Gamora said, and Peter’s heart skipped a few beats.

“Great,” the notary (who didn’t have a name tag, so Peter decided to call him ‘Bob’ in his head) said indifferently. “All you have to do is sign –“

“Crap,” Peter said suddenly, cutting him off. “We were supposed to be dressed nicer.” He looked down at his clothes a little woefully, noting the blood stain on his shirt and the tear near his knee. Gamora looked good no matter what, especially in her combat clothes, but he wished his clothes had at least been clean.

Gamora didn’t seem to mind, though. “You look very nice, Peter.”

He beamed, Drax pointed out that they looked the same as usual, and Bob tried to get them to move it along.

“Great,” he repeated. “Just sign –“

“Wait!” Peter exclaimed. “You’re supposed to be holding flowers,” he said to Gamora.

“Why?”

“I don’t know. That’s how they did it on TV.”

“I am Groot?” He held out his little arm.

“Thank you,” Gamora said with a gentle smile. “But you’re not old enough to grow that many flowers yet.”

“Could you hold something else?” Mantis suggested. 

“Here,” Drax said, taking both his knives out and handing them to her. “You can hold weapons.”

“Thanks,” Gamora said sincerely, taking them and adding her sword, holding all three low enough in front of her so she could still see over them.

“Oh, good idea.” Peter threw in a blaster and Rocket pulled out a small detonator (“It’s not wired! Don’t give me that look.”). All in all, it looked like a very precarious collection, but Gamora handled it like a pro, looking fondly at the bouquet.

Bob was gaping at them with something akin to horror, but he just said, “Uh, okay. Are you ready to –“

“Wait!” Peter said again, and Bob thunked his head onto his desk. “Are there any wedding traditions from your home world?” he asked Gamora.

“I don’t remember. I was very young when Thanos destroyed it.”

“We can’t have just my traditions,” he insisted, hating the sadness in her voice. “Let’s make one up.” He looked around the room quickly, and his eyes landed on the picture behind Bob’s head. “Okay, from now on, it is traditional for the bride and groom at Zehoberei weddings to throw knives into a picture of what I can only assume is a disturbingly anatomically correct painting of some species’ heart.”

“I believe it’s a Badoon,” Gamora said. “And I approve.”

“You can’t do that,” Bob said. “Are you kidding?”

“They have to,” Drax insisted. “It’s tradition.”

“Yeah, it’s way cooler than holding flowers or whatever,” Rocket added.

“Should I put him to sleep so you can do it?” Mantis whispered, though loud enough for Bob to hear and look alarmed.

“No, no,” Peter said. “C’mon, though,” he added to Bob. “We have to.” Like the rest of them, he was fully on board with this thing he’d just made up. “Besides, we’ll buy it.”

“Um, fine, I guess,” Bob said, running a hand over his face. “Anything to hurry this up.”

“I am Groot.”

“He _does_ have no sense of romance,” Peter said quietly, watching Gamora effortlessly transfer all the weapons she was holding to one arm so she could dig two more knives out of her pocket with the other.

“How many weapons do you have?” Bob asked, sounding slightly horrified.

She ignored him, handing one of the knives to Peter. “You first.”

Bob rolled his eyes and ducked behind his desk while Peter contemplated the picture. “Alright. I call that valve looking thing on the right.”

He just missed it, hitting the area below it instead, but it was a vast improvement considering his knife throwing skills used to be near zero.

“Close,” Gamora said with an approving smile. “I’m impressed.”

“Why?” Drax muttered. “He missed.”

“Thanks.” Peter grinned, ignoring Drax. “I had a good teacher.”

Gamora turned to the picture and considered for a moment. “I call… your knife.” Then she chucked hers and Peter watched in amazement as it landed in the handle of his.

“Marry me,” he said, a little hoarsely.                            

“That’s the plan.”

“Terrific,” Bob said, poking his head out from behind the desk. When no knives followed, he stood all the way up and held out a small holopad. “All you have to do is sign this.”

“Oh,” Peter said, frowning at it. “That’s anticlimactic.”

“People don’t exactly come here for the ceremony.”

“You should think of more things to do at weddings!” Mantis said.

“At my wedding,” Drax started. “My wife and I slaughtered several animals–“

“No!” Bob said firmly.

Drax looked offended. “It was for our dinner.”

“Maybe later,” Gamora said in a placating way.

“I got it!” Peter said, remembering something else he’d seen on TV weddings. “We’re supposed to say how we feel about each other.”

“Hello, isn’t that obvious?” Rocket asked. “Considering you’re getting married?”

Mantis was already excitedly stepping up to them, though. “I can help with this part!” She put her hand on Peter’s arm, her antennae glowing. “You feel romantic, sexual… unselfish love for Gamora.”

She smiled as the emotions flowed through her, then she hesitantly reached out to Gamora, who held out her arm. Mantis used her other hand to touch hers, so that she was holding both of them at once. “You feel the same for Peter,” she said, sounding choked up, the combination of both their emotions at once apparently too much for her.

Peter actually started to tear up a bit too when Mantis backed away. He was standing there staring at his almost-wife, holding a bouquet of weapons, wearing her badass combat clothes and giving him a beautiful smile, while they were surrounded by their family of wonderful idiots.

He leaned over to kiss her, carefully bending to avoid the knives. She moved them all to one arm again so she could get the other on the back of his head, deepening the kiss. 

It must have lasted a little too long, because Rocket started making disgusted noises and Bob said, “Can you please just sign already?”

“Alright.” Gamora sighed. She set the weapons down and reached over to sign the holopad with her finger, keeping her other hand on the back of his neck, which she _knew_ was a sensitive spot for him. He held in a moan when she started rubbing, and the way her smile suddenly turned wicked let him know she was doing it on purpose.

“Unbelievable,” he said quietly, though he was grinning so hard he thought his face might break, signing the holo once she was done. “I can’t believe I married you.”

He kissed her again, but then he felt the gear around her wrist and pulled back. “Wait! We’re supposed to have rings!”

“Too late!” Bob said, yanking the holo back. “You signed, you’re married! Now pay for the picture and get out!”

“Rude.” Peter pouted, but quickly took out his own holo so he could transfer the units while Drax went and grabbed the picture. “Thanks, Bob.”

“Who the hell is Bob?” Bob asked, but they just walked away.

“We can get the rings later,” Gamora said, lacing her fingers through his.

“I am Groot?”

“Of course you can come,” she said.

“If he gets to go, I want to go,” Drax said quickly.

“You can all go,” Peter said. “We can terrorize a whole new employee.”

He looked at Gamora to share an eye-roll with her, only to find that she was already looking at him, a soft, affectionate smile on her face.  

“You feel any different?” he whispered, slinging an arm over her shoulders.

She slid her arm around his waist and shook her head. “Not really,” she whispered back, but she sounded pleased about it. “I think Drax was right.”

“How so?”

She looked around at their weirdo family and back up at him, then pressed a kiss to his shoulder, making him feel even warmer somehow, and said, “We were already married.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I know that's not what shotgun wedding actually means but Peter left Earth young enough that I think that's what he would have been told)


	21. The Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from anon - 23. Things you said that made me cry
> 
> You can read it on tumblr [here](https://gamoraspeter.tumblr.com/post/162998526313/23-things-you-said-that-made-me-cry) :)

“Peter?”

He takes his eyes off the window and turns to see Gamora standing not far behind him. “Hey,” he says softly. “What’s up?”

“Just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” She comes to sit next to him, both of them on the floor even though the Quadrant’s cockpit has chairs. “You’re not usually up this early.”

“Yeah.” He shrugs, looking back out the window to where he can see their still-broken ship outside.

“Did you get any sleep?”

“Some. You?”

“Some,” she echoes. She rests her hand over his where he’s got it on the floor and he smiles, flipping his hand around to hold hers. “It’ll be fixed,” she tells him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “The Milano.”

“I know,” he sighs. “It’s just… Yondu gave me that ship. It kind of means more, now that I know he saw me as a… son, I suppose.”

“I’m sorry, Peter,” she says quietly, leaning into his side, her head resting lightly on his shoulder. His heart swells and he wraps an arm around her shoulders. He feels her sink a little further into him and something settles in his chest.

“Hey, Gamora?” he mutters after a few minutes of silence.

“Hmm?”

He stares out at the Milano instead of at her, steeling himself as his pulse starts racing. “You know, I never actually knew… I didn’t find out that Yondu cared about me until it was too late.  I was kinda wondering my whole life, and now there’s no chance for us to talk about it or…”

He cuts himself off, sighing in frustration. He feels Gamora turn her head to look up at him but he keep his eyes forward, afraid he’s not going to be able to get this out if he looks at her.

“Look, I know Mantis already kind of spilled the beans. But just in case something happens to me, I don’t want you to be left wondering. So, I just want you to know that I love you.”

He looks down at his knees while he waits for her reaction, but she’s quiet for a long moment and he can’t make himself wait any longer. When he turns his head, she’s still looking up at him and he’s shocked to see tears in her eyes.

“Gamora?” he breathes, concerned. She turns her face away, swiping at her eye with the back of her hand. “Shit, I’m sorry,” he says quickly. “I knew that was too soon, I didn’t mean to upset you –“

“No, no,” she cuts him off, looking back up at him again. A tear slips down her cheek, the first he’s ever seen from her, making water well in his own eyes. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s stupid, it’s just… no one has ever said that to me before.”

“‘Mora,” he breathes, tightening his arm around her slightly, inviting her to lean in closer if she wants. To his delight, she does, shifting her head to rest against his chest so that they’re basically hugging. Despite the anxiety he still feels from laying his heart out, he can’t help but feel whole, holding her like this.

He feels her take a deep, shaky breath. “I…”

“You don’t have to say it back,” he says after she pauses. “That’s not why I said it. I just wanted you to know.”

“What if I want you to know, too?” she whispers.

“Oh. Well, yeah,” Peter says, feeling his heart-rate pick up even more, hope beginning to overtake his nerves. “That would be okay, then.”

She’s quiet for another moment and when she speaks, he can hear the tears in her voice, but he thinks he hears a hint of a smile as well. “I love you,” she says simply.

He practically chokes on a happy sob, squeezing her to him a little tighter. Her arms come around to hug him too, and he rests his head on hers. He meant it when he said he didn’t need her to say it back, but he’s so immeasurably happy that she did; now at least they both know.

“That’s good,” he says tearfully, a wide grin blooming across his face. “I was hoping you did."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rant from my original tags on this ficlet: the two things about this that I was having feels about when writing are 1, thinking about Peter learning to say stuff to people instead of hiding behind earth references that no one understands because he realized Yondu cared about him and he never knew bc they can't communicate for shit and 2, Gamora opening herself up more and actually crying in front of Peter, even if it's just one bb tear, because she thought he was dead but she has him back and she realizes she needs to seize the day, etc.
> 
> Anyway. I hate these two.


	22. Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from [enigma731](http://enigma731.tumblr.com/) \- things you said on a date. I also combined it with the starmora week day 2 prompt: hands.

He tells her that he loves her hands and she accuses him of being drunk. And, to be fair, he’s a  _little_ drunk. They’re at a bar, after all. But he’d only had a couple drinks, wanting to stay mostly sober because, despite the fact that they’re in a pretty sleazy, unromantic place, he thinks of this as a date.

Gamora laughs when he tells her as much. “The whole team is here. Isn’t a date supposed to be just the two of us?”

Again, technically true; their friends are all sitting at the table with them. But seeing as they’re all passed out, he doesn’t think it counts.

“Psh.” He waves his free hand dismissively. “We’re sitting on the same side of a booth, basically by ourselves. We had drinks, we’re holding hands – this is totally a date.”

She raises a skeptical eyebrow. “Those are the qualifications for a date?”

“Some of ‘em.”

“What are some of the other qualifications, then?” she asks, and there’s a hint of flirtation in her tone that makes his heart flutter. It’s not the first time he’s heard it – she’s flirted with him before, even prior to acknowledging their unspoken thing, and she’s done it more often since – but it sends a thrill through him every time.

“Well,” he says, looking at their entwined hands. “People usually talk on dates. Tell each other stuff.”

“Like what?”

He plays with her hand, just enough alcohol in his system to make him bolder than he might normally be. He twists one of her rings around, strokes his thumb over her knuckles, flips her hand over so he can trace the lines of her palm with one finger. She’s patient through it all, letting him touch her in a way she would probably stab anyone else for, and his heart flutters again.

“Like how much I love your hands.”

She sighs, though there’s a smile tugging on her lips, so she’s probably only pretending to be exasperated that he’s told her this for the second time in under a minute. “Why’s that?”

“Cause they’re beautiful. And strong,” he says sincerely. “Strong enough to break a Badoon’s arm with just two fingers.” They both grin at the memory. Then he thinks about her grasping his hands on Xandar, and in the woods on Berhert. “But they’re soft and kind, too.”

“You’re a bit of a sap,” she says, but he can see that she’s pleased. Her lips have quirked up even more, and there’s an extra light in her eyes, and the faintest flush on her cheeks, slightly darker green than the rest of her skin. He could go on and on about these features of hers, too, but that’s sappiness for another time.

“Only where you’re concerned,” he says instead, leaning a bit closer to her and smiling, a little crooked and a lot sincere.

Gamora leans closer too, even scoots a bit so their thighs touch. “So, what else do people do on dates?” she asks in a low voice, and he practically squeaks at the hint in her tone, the way her eyes dart down to his lips before meeting his again, suddenly darker.  

He doesn’t say a word, isn’t sure he could manage words anyway. He just leans in, heart pounding. He’s about to close his eyes and go for it when a loud snore startles them and makes them jump apart.

Peter turns to glare at the culprit: an unconscious Drax, who’s slumped over right next to him. “Great timing, buddy,” he grumbles. He looks hopefully back at Gamora, but the moment is ruined; she’s already turned her attention to the others. Mantis is passed out against the wall on the other side of the booth. Rocket is curled up on top of the table, Groot asleep on top of him because it’s way past his bedtime and Peter thinks they really need to stop keeping him out this late.

“I guess we better clean these a-holes up and get back,” he says, sighing heavily.

He’s about to extract his hand from hers when she suddenly tugs on it. He looks at her just in time to watch her raise his hand to her lips and press a light kiss to the back of it. “I love your hands, too,” she says with a gentle smile. She drops it to stand up and start picking up the others, leaving him stunned and blushing and grinning like a maniac for the rest of the night, even while dragging his drunk friends out of a bar.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's on tumblr [here](https://gamoraspeter.tumblr.com/post/163726522733/23-things-you-said-make-your-own-on-a-date)


	23. Holiday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from anon - things you said while you were crying. Also for Starmora week day 6 - holiday!

She doesn’t remember much about her home world. She was five years old when Thanos destroyed it, so the things she does remember tend to be vague impressions more than anything else, though she has a few solid memories. She remembers a large but mostly peaceful village; she remembers that her parents both had long hair; she remembers playing outside and reading books and generally being happy. And she remembers Remembrance Day.

It wasn’t the biggest, most important holiday for her people, but it’s the only one she can remember the date for (which is fitting, really). Every year after she’d been taken, she observed it silently in her head. It felt like a small rebellion in some way, to stubbornly hold onto this piece of her culture even after Thanos eradicated every other trace of it.  

She’s able to do a little more this year, though. She only remembers one actual tradition from this holiday, but she figures it’s better than nothing. So she wakes up early in the morning, rolls out of bed as quietly as she can so she doesn’t disturb Peter, and heads to the cockpit with a small candle.  

She hasn’t been sitting there long when she hears his footsteps approaching the ladder from the lower level.  She hastily wipes the tears from her cheeks, but her eyes betray her and another tear falls even as Peter ascends the ladder and pauses when he sees her.

It’s probably a somewhat strange picture to take in, she supposes; she’s sitting in the chair that’s usually his, at an hour he would call ‘the ass crack of dawn,’ holding a lit candle, and crying.

“Gamora?” He comes to kneel by her side, taking her free hand in his. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she says, voice a little hoarse but otherwise steady. “Did I wake you?”

“Not really. I just rolled over and noticed you weren’t there. But it’s fine.” He glances at the candle, then back to her, reaching up to gently wipe a stray tear from her cheek. “What are you doing?”

“It’s Remembrance Day,” she says quietly, staring at the flame in front of her. “A holiday from my home planet.”

“What are you remembering?” he asks, matching her quiet tone.

“Family members who have died.”  She turns the candle slowly back and forth, watching the flame dance. “I try to remember my entire planet, as well. Since I’m the only one left who can.”

They’re both silent for a moment, staring at the candle while Peter uses his thumb to trace circles onto the back of her hand.

“You don’t have to remember alone,” he says eventually. “If you don’t want to.”

She’s about to tell him that yes, she  _does;_ her people hadn’t developed the technology for space travel, didn’t even know such a thing was possible until Thanos came out of the sky to destroy them, so there were no Zehoberei off world at the time. There’s only her.

But Peter knows more about them than anyone else alive, besides her. It’s not a lot – she’s never been as free as he is with knowledge of his world. He loves dropping bits of Earth’s culture into casual conversation, talking about shows and movies, spreading its music through as much of the galaxy as he can. She adores that openness of his, admires it even while she finds it confusing, but she will never be that person. She tends to keep what limited knowledge she has about her home world to herself, hoarding it selfishly as if that will keep it safe somehow.

But she’s shared pieces of it with Peter. So maybe she doesn’t need to remember an entire planet on her own this year.

“Okay,” she says, giving him a watery smile.

He returns it, then sits down on the floor. She feels awkward sitting in the chair then, so she slides down to sit next to him, setting the candle on the floor in front of them and leaning her head against his shoulder.

They watch the candle burn until there’s almost nothing left of it. It’s easily the best Remembrance Day in her memory.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On tumblr [here!](https://gamoraspeter.tumblr.com/post/163892268593/could-you-please-do-starmora-8-things-you-said)


	24. Weak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from anon - Things you said that I wish you hadn't

“That was an exceptionally stupid thing to do.”

“Aaw, you think I’m exceptional?”

Gamora just looks at him, unamused. Well, she’s a  _little_  amused, but only because the two balls of tissue currently stuck up Peter’s nose make him sound absurdly congested. 

“It’s not like I was  _trying_ to trip,” he says petulantly.

“No,” she agrees, dabbing at his nose with a disinfectant wipe. He’s sitting on his bed, which puts them at about the same height, making it easier to see the myriad of scrapes he’s acquired and the bruises already blooming beneath them. The extent of his injury makes her frown. “You were trying to show off instead of watching where you were going.”

“I wasn’t showing off.”

“Then why were you juggling three of the jewels we were  _supposed_ to be transporting carefully while saying ‘Gamora, look what I can do?’”

“Okay, so maybe I was showing off. But I was doing it to impress you,” he says as if that somehow makes it better.

She rolls her eyes and sets the wipe aside, bending slightly to search for a bandage in the first-aid kit that’s lying on the bed next to him. “You broke one of the jewels and very nearly broke your own nose. I’d hardly call that impressive.”

“So I guess that means you  _don’t_ like it when I’m weak?”

His tone is light, but the reference to their fight makes her freeze up.

She glares. “That’s not funny.”

He immediately looks contrite, shoulders slumping, joking smile falling from his face. “Sorry, I… sorry.”

“It’s fine,” she says quickly, feeling foolish for getting so tense over what he clearly saw as a joke. She goes back to her hunt for a bandage, avoiding his eyes.

“Hey.” His tone is soft now, still muffled by the tissues. “I mean it; I’m sorry. And I’m sorry for saying it on… well, I’m sorry for saying it before, too.”

She looks up, reads the sincerity on his face, and sighs. It’s been nearly two weeks since their fight on Ego’s planet but they’ve yet to discuss it.

Until now, apparently.

“Why did you say it?” she asks, unable to resist. “I don’t understand why you think  _I_ think you’re weak, much less why you think I enjoy it.”

“I don’t!” he assures her. “I mean, I know you don’t  _like_ it.”

“But?” she prompts.

“Well, you do worry about me on jobs sometimes, like you think I’m gonna get hurt.”

“You do the same for me,” she points out. “Is it because you think I’m weak?”

“What? No! Of course not. I just want to protect you – even though I know you can take care of yourself,” he hastens to add.

She rolls her eyes, because she  _knows_  he knows that. “That’s why I worry about you, too.” She doesn’t say  _‘duh,’_ as Peter is sometimes wont to do, but she hopes he can hear it in her tone anyway.  

“Oh.” He smiles, an expression of such heartfelt relief and delight taking over his face that she has to return it. “Well, thanks. And I’m sorry, again, about that and all the other stuff I said during our stupid fight.”

“It’s okay,” she says, sincerely this time. She’s standing in front of him, close enough that she can count the little lines that crinkle his eyes when he smiles; it takes considerable will power to not reach out and touch the indent near the corner of his mouth until she remembers that she doesn’t  _have_ to resist anymore. “I’m sorry I hurt you, too.”

He shakes his head, pleased expression fading into something more intense as she touches his cheek, eyes flicking down to her mouth. “No need,” he breathes, already leaning forward. She leans to meet him, but their lips barely brush before his nose bumps her cheek and he hisses, jumping back suddenly and wincing in pain.

“Oops.” She can’t help but laugh, just a little; not at his pain, but at his ensuing pout, which looks fairly ridiculous paired with the tissues still stuck up his nose. “I suppose we should finish bandaging you, first.”

Hope suddenly lights up his face. “ _Then_ kiss?”

She smiles fondly. Their unspoken thing is still new, still a bit tentative, but it’s not like they haven’t kissed yet. Peter is always the same whenever they do, though; so eager and reverent, treating every time like it’s special.

“Yes,” she says, hoping he can see the same feelings in her face. “Then kiss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> on tumblr [here](https://gamoraspeter.tumblr.com/post/164463813033/17-for-peter-and-gamora)


	25. Jealousy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt from [wawagirl17](wawagirl17.tumblr.com): "There’s so many awesome fics of Gamora being jealous and possessive in certain situations, but I’ve always wanted someone to write the reverse of that? It may be less fitting, but what if some guy was flirting with Gamora, (and she probably wouldn’t even notice it, to be honest), and Rocket or one of the others has to tease Peter about it and make him self-conscious, and he gets adorably jealous, and then he and Gamora have to talk about it." 
> 
> I didn't get all the elements in here, but this is what came out of my brain :)

Peter wakes with a jackhammer in his head and a dried out, rotting egg in his mouth.

“Shit,” he groans aloud. Maybe if he just stays in bed and keeps his eyes firmly shut he can erase the previous night from his memory.

“That’s what happens when you drink half a bar,” a voice says, startling him enough to make him open his eyes. The world is fuzzy and far too bright, but he can make out Gamora standing by the side of the bed. She hands him a bottle of water and two pills.

“Thanks.” He sits up slowly, groaning again because moving is extremely unpleasant right now, then takes the pills and washes them down with the entire bottle of water.

“Better?” Gamora asks, taking the empty bottle from him. She sets it on top of the dresser before sitting on the bed by his knees.

“A bit,” he says honestly. He feels slightly more awake anyway, better able to focus on her. She’s already gotten dressed, curled her hair, and put her make-up on. He wonders how long he’d slept in, and how deeply asleep he must have been to miss her getting up and leaving their room.

“Are you ready to tell me what was going on with you last night?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, avoiding her eyes.

She raises an eyebrow. “Do you  _remember_  last night?”

“Yes,” he says, which is true, although some of it is a blur. He remembers enough.

He remembers being at the bar, drinking way more, way  _faster_  than he normally would. He remembers spending almost the entire night sitting around in a horrible mood. He remembers first getting unreasonably angry at a stranger for wearing a shirt that was ‘too orange,’ then getting unreasonably depressed and practically bursting into tears when Gamora told him he couldn’t go punch the guy and start a fight over it.

“I wasn’t too much of an asshole, was I?” he asks, wincing at the memories.

She sighs and her posture softens. “You weren’t an asshole, Peter. You were–strange. Quiet. You didn’t ask me to dance once.”

His eyes widen, remembering that too.

“Yes,” she agrees, apparently reading his expression. “That’s when I really knew there was something wrong.”

“I’m sorry,” he sighs, dropping his head forward in shame. “Shit, I really ruined the night, didn’t I? We were supposed to be celebrating finishing a job and I  _ruined_  it.”

“You didn’t ruin it,” she says. He perks up a bit because she sounds honest. “The rest of the team had fun.”

“But you didn’t?” he guesses, deflating again because he’d managed to ruin her night along with his. He’d been trying to keep this to himself for exactly that reason.

“I was worried about you,” she confesses, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder. “Now will you tell me what’s wrong?”

“It’s stupid.” He picks at the edge of the blanket, aware that he’s being difficult but his stubborn, hungover brain can’t muster the energy to cut it out.

“Peter.” Gamora’s voice is gentle but firm. “Please talk to me.”

He can never deny her anything, not really, so he sighs and stares at his hands as he says, “Look, just–that guy, that we did the job for, he… the way he was flirting with you when we were collecting the reward, it just–bugged me, okay?”

“So you were jealous,” she says bluntly.

“No! No, not… okay, maybe a little.” He risks a glance up at her; she’s looking at him with that same soft, non-judgemental expression she always does when he tells her stuff, and that bolsters his confidence a little. “Not like, creepy or possessive jealous or anything like that,” he assures her. “I just…”

“You just?” she prompts.

“I just thought…” He blushes; he hates admitting this, he hates  _feeling_  this because he knows it’s dumb and insecure and childish. “I mean, he was pretty good-looking. Nothing on me, obviously,” he says, though it’s with a distinct lack of his characteristic cockiness. “And he was smart, I guess, and super rich and–”

“Peter,” Gamora cuts him off. Her brow is knitted in concern. “You know I love  _you_ , right?”

“I know,” he says, though he still feels awed about it even now, months after she first told him. He takes a deep, shaky breath, and then it’s like the floodgates have opened. “But I started thinking… why me and not someone else? Why  _not_  that guy? Or some other guy who’s smarter or more mature than me?”

“So… you’re insecure?” she asks, that same concerned look on her face.

“I guess.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal, like the thought of her leaving him isn’t one of his biggest fears, no matter how many times she, and the rest of the team, for that matter, have proven that they plan to stick around. ‘I’m just–afraid of losing you. That’s all.”

To his surprise, she shakes her head with a small, almost rueful smile on her face. “Would you believe that I have the same fear?”

“What?” Peter gapes at her, stunned. He sits up further, leaning closer to her. “Gamora, you’re–amazing, incredible, perfect. I love you so much I can hardly think straight. How could I ever want anyone else?”

“I feel the same way about you,” she says, raising an eyebrow as if to say ‘duh.’

He blinks, staring at her, then a slow, crooked smile takes over his face. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She matches his smile but then her face turns serious again. “Why didn’t you just tell me you were feeling this way?”

“Cause I felt dumb,” he admits in a whisper. “I’m Star-Lord, legendary outlaw. I’m not supposed to get insecure.”

Gamora frowns thoughtfully, then reaches one hand up to cup his cheek gently, almost reverently. “You always tell me my feelings are safe with you,” she says. “And I’ve felt this way as well, even though I’m supposed to be a warrior, and an assassin.”

“That’s true,” he says, smiling slightly at the memory.

“Your feelings are safe with me, too,” she tells him. “Legendary outlaw or not.”

He nods, then stops because it hurts his head. He clears his throat. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” she says sincerely, then closes the distance between them, kissing him softly.

He hums against her lips, trying to deepen the kiss, but she pulls away and makes a face. “Your breath is kind of awful, Peter.”

He laughs, feeling lighter by the second. “That’s what happens when you drink half a bar.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On tumblr [here](https://gamoraspeter.tumblr.com/post/165559828263/for-wawagirl17-who-wanted-peter-to-get-jealous).
> 
> 25 seems like a good number to close this out on, so I'm marking this complete! I'm not actively taking prompts right now, but if (probably when) I write any more I'll start an awesome prompt mix vol 2 for that :) 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who commented and left kudos and read!!!


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